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Converting an Old Van for a Burger or Fish and Chip Catering Business

by Ricky
(Norfolk)

A vintage Citroen HY van converted into a mobile catering unit at a country fete.

A vintage Citroen HY van converted into a mobile catering unit at a country fete.

I am thinking of converting a vintage van into either a Gourmet burger van (all homemade) or fish and chip van. I would like to hire it out at weddings, parties, birthdays, sports events, music events and small festivals in the east of england. Has anyone got any advice or experience on costings, turnover and profit?

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Apr 20, 2026
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by: MobCater

Hi Ricky,

A vintage van for events catering is a strong idea, and East Anglia is a good patch for it. The country wedding circuit, agricultural shows, village fetes and the smaller boutique festivals all favour something that looks the part, and a well-converted vintage van will book more weeks of the year than a generic trailer.

On the money, a project like yours usually breaks down into the van itself, the conversion work and the equipment. A sound vintage donor such as a Citroen H, Bedford CA or VW T2 typically runs three to eight thousand pounds. Add another one to three thousand getting it mechanically reliable, and two to five thousand on the interior strip out and fit. Then equipment, generator, gas safety certification, signwriting, plus insurance and registration in year one. End to end you're looking at ten to twenty five thousand pounds depending on how much you do yourself.

On burger versus fish and chips, the kit is very different. A burger setup is lighter, faster to serve and higher margin per item. You can take the gourmet angle with brioche buns, proper patties and quality toppings, and the smaller footprint keeps the fit out cheaper. Fish and chips needs a serious twin pan fryer which can be three to five thousand on its own, plus a chip dump and fish display. Higher capital cost, higher food cost, and the frying smell tends to limit you to outdoor events rather than marquee weddings. For wedding and birthday flexibility, gourmet burgers are easier. For the festival and country show circuit, fish and chips will pull bigger queues.

Realistic takings vary hugely. A small village fete might do four to eight hundred pounds, a country wedding six hundred to fifteen hundred plus a per head fee, an agricultural show fifteen hundred to four thousand over a day or two. Music festival pitches can take four to fifteen thousand depending on size, but the pitch fee can swallow a few thousand of that, so always read the booking conditions carefully. The events trade is feast or famine, but a strong summer pays for a quiet February.

One last thing from experience. Make sure every piece of equipment carries a CE mark before you buy it. I bought a second-hand potato oven once with no CE mark, lost three hundred quid, and a Gas Safe engineer wouldn't certify the setup. No CE mark, walk away.

All the best

David

Disclaimer: This is based on my experience in UK mobile catering. Rules and costs can change, so always do your own research and check with the relevant authorities before committing.

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